By Elisa Lazzarino, Toxic Free NC Policy Advocacy Intern

The North Carolina General Assembly recently voted to lift a popularly supported and arguably successful ban on e-waste in landfills. The move was harshly criticized by environmentalists in the state, as the landfill ban prevented the hazardous materials contained in electronic devices such as old TVs, cell phones, and computers from lingering in landfills and potentially leaking mercury and other hazardous substances into adjacent properties and groundwater. The ban provided support for a burgeoning e-cycling industry, throughout the state currently worth about $20 billion nationally, with recycling facilities contracting with the state to provide a receptacle for e-waste. Legislators opposed to the ban, however, claimed that the e-cycling program, which was in part funded by fees imposed on electronics manufacturers, burdened these manufacturers who would then pass the cost onto consumers. The state’s Department of Environmental Quality – infamous for its mismanaging of the coal ash crisis of the past few years – released a statement of support for the measure, echoing the legislators’ claims, and alluding to the illegal waste exports that may expose children to toxic chemicals, although they provided no evidence that NC facilities are doing this.

It’s important to acknowledge that e-cycling’s problems, as a relatively new industry, are indeed cause for concern, including instances of fraud involving the illegal shipment of e-waste overseas. But illegal exports aren’t out of states’ control. The US is one of just a handful of developed countries that does not regulate its e-waste exports, and by repealing the landfill ban, North Carolina has arguably taken a step backwards where we could have strengthened our export regulations. The prospect of mercury-laden landfills leaking into wetlands and aquifers, however, is hardly a consolation for the existing regulatory deficit, and legislators’ folksy platitudes tend to obscure the crony capitalism at play. Minus a small number of legislators who opposed the ban, the General Assembly’s conflation of these fraudulent e-cycling businesses with the entire industry is a symptom of the larger trend of deregulation in North Carolina. The repeal of the ban is part of the omnibus regulatory reform bill, Senate Bill 303, which is the legislature’s effort to overhaul regulations across a wide range of public and private sector activities. As with many of the other scrapped regulations, this ban on landfill disposal of e-waste not only mitigated contamination of soil and waterways, but supported a growing industry that encouraged the proper disposal of e-waste through no-cost recycling programs that generated millions of dollars annually and employed hundreds of people.

While legislators claim they have the interests of consumers in mind, it’s essential that we look critically at who benefits most from this measure. Manufacturers, now unburdened by e-cycling fees, are now saving approximately $1 million, which is a paltry amount relative to the annual profits of most major electronics manufacturers. Still, it’s highly unlikely that they will now pass these savings onto consumers, while under the ban, consumers and the government had a small but arguably effective means to keep the environmental and public health abuses of the electronics industry in check, and a path toward stronger environmental protections. Legislators’ myopic claims of regulatory burden miss several important factors that contribute to the environmental and public health risks inherent to consumer electronics. Deregulation of the electronics industry effectively absolves manufacturers – many of whom have been shown to engage in human rights abuses through the overseas manufacturing process as well as pollution – of their responsibility to the environment and to public health. Statements from elected officials about the greater benefits of lifting the ban are a representation of the triangulation and co-opting of legitimate concerns of the poor and working classes that has become commonplace in North Carolina. This kind of rhetoric from our legislators is a sign of a disturbing species of pro-corporate conservatism that masquerades as ‘traditional values’ conservatism. It’s time for North Carolinians to wake up from the neoconservative fantasy that polarizes our communities, hamstrings small businesses, and destroys our natural resources – and demand accountability from our elected representatives.

Toxic Free NC’s has a new Executive Director!

We are excited to announce that Program Manager, Dylan Williams, will be taking over as Executive Director on June 1^st of this year! Stay tuned for an open letter from him in the coming weeks, but for now here’s a quick word from him on the transition and future of Toxic Free NC:

“First of all I want to thank Harry Payne for taking on the directorship over the past year. I am grateful for his leadership and guidance during his tenure and especially now as I move toward this new role. I am honored and humbled by this opportunity and look forward to supporting the work of this incredible team, ensuring continued protection of the health of North Carolinians and our environment. Toxics in our daily lives are more pervasive than ever. As industry finds new ways to prescribe need for chemicals in the home, in the field, or on our bodies, we have to remain vigilant and advocate for sound science and protective legislation. I look forward to working with you, for you, and continuing the 30 year legacy of Toxic Free NC. Please feel free to call, write, or stop by our office, as this work can only move forward if we work together!”

Toxic flame retardants policy

Toxic Free NC at the subcommittee table making sure that legislators know that we want toxic chemicals out of our children’s bedding products!

April has been busy leading up to the General Assembly going back into session for the 2016 short session this Monday.   Toxic Free NC was in subcommittee meetings this month with other members of the NC Coalition for Environmental Health as we worked with legislators, firefighters, mothers, doctors, and others to get toxic flame retardants out of bedding products.  Unfortunately, we faced some extreme opposition from the American Chemistry Council and other industry representatives and the Environmental Review Committee in the General Assembly decided not to pursue a ban on these flame retardants this session.  However, the Committee did propose that the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Department of Environmental Quality work together to develop a toxics action plan for future consideration to ban these chemicals from bedding and other products.

Our Forest Aren’t Fuel Rally

Toxic Free NC speaks with Charlotte residents about the effects of pesticides in our food system, school, and child care facilities and what we can do to stop it!

Toxic Free NC was in Charlotte this month with many other organizations to support the Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Campaign.  This campaign asks the biofuel industry to stop cutting the Southeast’s forests down for biofuel that they claim in carbon neutral.  The state of the science says this is not so and industry science does not factor in other inputs such as pesticides when growing these trees for “green energy”.  It was great to reconnect with old allies in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, get some great tours of amazing work being done in the area, and solidify new relationships.  We will be back in Charlotte tabling this Sunday, May 1^st for a Community Garden Dedication at Shalom Park from 10AM to 12:30PM.  Come out and see us!

NC Farmworker Institute

Toxic Free NC and the NC Department of Agriculture teaming up for a informative workshop on the revised WPS (bottom L and R); researchers from Wake Forest University sharing chemical exposure results for farmowrkers (upper R); and advocates address poultry worker concerns (upper L).

Toxic Free NC had the great opportunity to participate in the 2016 NC Farmworkers Institute as a workshop presenter on the revised Worker Protection Standards (WPS).  This event brought together farmworkers, advocates, and researchers from around the state to share current issues facing farmworkers, and strategies for increased enforcement tactics.  It was great to team up with the NC Department of Agriculture for this workshop so that they could hear from the community various strategies that will lead towards a meaningful implementation of the revised rules for protecting farmworkers from pesticides.  Many of the strategies include how to use social media to stay in touch with farmworkers after the grow season, strengthening the relationship between NC Department of Agriculture inspectors and farmworkers, and strategic partnerships between health and faith non-profits and the NC Department of Agriculture.